Post script: standing up against gun violence

Growing up in Washington, D.C., the threat of gun violence at my high school was enough of a concern that there was routine debate over whether or not to install metal detectors.

The shootings were usually related to drugs or gangs – things you theoretically could insulate yourself from, but they were no less terrifying.

The guns turned on students in Columbine and Blacksburg and yesterday in Chardon, were aimed by shooters with no target other than to kill and create chaos. As such, there was no way – theoretically or otherwise – they could have insulated themselves. In countless schoolrooms across the country, the only protection against gun violence is, in the end, the law.

And yet, in the very same states that have seen the country’s grisliest gun crimes – Colorado, Virginia and Ohio – state legislators have – remarkably – tried to weaken gun control, making it easier to carry concealed weapons, purchase multiple firearms or eliminate background checks.

Of course, guns don’t kill. People do. But then again, when children are reliant on the state to ensure their safety, those in power must do everything to keep them out of harm’s way.

Standing up to the vocal – but certainly not all-powerful – gun lobby would be a good place to start.